PINA

Several draft texts released early Thursday in Baku are capturing the attention of civil society observers at COP29 who have been holding out to see an ambitious and fair new climate finance goal, two days before the negotiations come to a close. The new finance goal and the Mitigation Working Group texts in their current form currently fail to provide...

By Sophie Yeo Facing erasure due to climate change, the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu is digitally backing up everything from its houses to its trees as it endeavors to save whatever it can. Tuvalu, a small country in the Pacific Ocean made up of nine coral islands, is reckoning with a future where it may no longer be habitable. Sea...

Fiji head coach Mick Byrne has named his matchday squad for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series fixture against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. The Flying Fijians have had a solid Autumn Nations Series to date. An under-strength side was thrashed 57-17 by Scotland before a far stronger 23 shocked Wales in Cardiff to seal a first-ever win in the Welsh capital...

In a powerful call to action at COP29, Sefanaia Nawadra, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), stressed the urgency of reaching a meaningful climate agreement to protect the future of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Speaking from the High-Level Segment in Baku, Nawadra emphasised that the stakes for the Pacific are nothing short of...

U.S deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said he hoped the incoming Trump administration would work with allies Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific, amid “acute strategic competition” with China and not withdraw from the region. Responding to China's police presence in Pacific islands and its security pact with the Solomons, the Biden administration stepped up diplomacy, with more...

U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III will wrap up his Indo-Pacific trip in Fiji this week, marking the first-ever visit by a U.S. defence secretary. While in Fiji, Austin will meet with Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa. The secretary is expected to announce that the U.S and Fiji will begin negotiations...

Vanuatu voters will head into a snap election within the next 60 days after President Nikenike Vurobaravu dissolved parliament, earlier this week. It's the fifth change in government since 2022, and widespread public disappointment has been reported as dissolutions and petitions of no confidence continue to disrupt the running of the country. Early this year, Vanuatu voted for a referendum to...

Tonga’s Internal Affairs Minister Lord Vaea has delivered a clear and urgent message on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum at the UN ESCAP Asia-Pacific Ministerial meeting, highlighting both the progress and the challenges faced in advancing gender equality in the Pacific region. Lord Vaea emphasised the collective commitment of the 18-member regional bloc to a future where peace, security,...

As the clock ticks towards the end of COP29 in Baku Azerbaijan, Vanuatu has expressed deep concerns about the lack of progress made on some key ticket items, including the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, the Mitigation Work Program (MWP) and Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). Speaking during the resumed High Level session at the Nizami plenary...

Pulaalii Nikolao Pula and Pulu Ae Ae Jr are the winners of Tuesday’s gubernatorial run-off election in American Samoa. They polled 5,846 votes or 59.8 percent of the 9,771 votes cast while incumbents, Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga and Lt Governor Laapui Talauega Eleasalo Ale received 3,925 votes or 40.2 percent. The results are unofficial until after 7 days. Pula and Pulu topped...